It's true what they say...Ithaca is cold...confirmed by the flurry of snowflakes currently falling outside my window. But for those of you who are hesitant about attending a school in a cool climate, I'm here to let you know that this little winter wonderland isn't really all that bad.
Here are some of the good things:
1. Coffee shops feel reeeeeally cozy.
This is important because you'll be doing lots of studying and will want a nice warm place to curl up with a book, a text book that is. I lived in Miami for three years and every time I set foot into Starbucks I wistfully willed the weather to drop below at least 60 degrees. For some reason, coffee isn't quite the same when you order it while wearing shorts and a bikini top. In Ithaca, you will not have coffee confusion...it will make total sense.
2. You can wear turtlenecks. Library fashion is totally IN.
Turtleneck tops not only keep you warm, but they tend to portray an academic and studious look which is sure to get you in the mood to study. While you may feel like you're always on the way to the library while wearing a turtleneck, that's a good thing in Ithaca, because you probably actually are. So stock up in all colors and WORK that library fashion.
3. You will have the chance to perfect your "cold face."
There's a certain face all people make when they're cold. Yes, ALL people. I've analyzed this for years. I've even thought about creating a "cold face" coffee table book. It's only those who consciously take note of what their face is doing, who will emerge as graceful outdoor travelers throughout the winter months. I sincerely hope you have the will to become one of these people, as a controlled "cold face" really has the power to distinguish you from your peers.
4. Cornell University seems to be made for winter.
There's something beautiful about the rolling hills, towering trees, and majestic buildings standing strong underneath a blanket of white snow. While certainly spring and fall are times to relish for all of us - the winter months in Ithaca are not without substantial wonder and sights to see.
So there are four great reasons (if you ask me) to pack up your boots and skis, and look forward to coming to a place gorgeous in all seasons.
As for me, I'm going to put on my turtleneck and go drink some coffee.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tis the Season
One of the most beautiful experiences an individual can have living here in Ithaca, is observing the fall season roll in and the gradual turning of the leaves. It may sound a bit silly, but the foliage turns to such stunning shades of red, gold, orange, and yellow...that you literally have to stop to admire it all and take in the vibrancy. As each leaf gracefully falls to the ground, we get closer and closer to a wonderful time of the year...the holiday season. Through the winter months, nothing is better than evenings by the fire, time with family and friends, snow falling to the ground, and music in the air. Luckily, as a student, we actually get the time to enjoy all of this as we're blessed with the brilliant concept of...winter break.
This year the Johnson School kicked off the holiday season with a big Halloween bash at a Sage Social. The festivities rolled on as people bobbed for apples, carved out pumpkins, and snacked on caramel covered apples. Later on that evening, some friends and I gathered together at a neighbor's house and in an impromptu turn of events, found ourselves dressed in full costume and headed to a hotel school Halloween party. While at first the six of us didn't really know anyone at the party, by the end of the night we were dancing with "old" friends and making promises to do it again the future.
The change of pace was appreciated by us all, and at the end of the day, is what is so great about going to the Johnson School. At Cornell, the cross pollination of academic institutions is relatively easy to achieve. If you put in just a little effort, it's a natural development for an academic connection to transform into a social connection, and ultimately lead to the strong foundation of a new relationship - be it professional or personal. So whether you're interested in hospitality and tourism, engineering, law, or whatever...being a student at the Johnson School means you're only steps away from opening doors to a whole new world of professional opportunities...or simply to making a new friend.
Tis the season for enjoying new friends, cherishing time with old ones, and making the effort to open doors of unforseen possibilities.
This year the Johnson School kicked off the holiday season with a big Halloween bash at a Sage Social. The festivities rolled on as people bobbed for apples, carved out pumpkins, and snacked on caramel covered apples. Later on that evening, some friends and I gathered together at a neighbor's house and in an impromptu turn of events, found ourselves dressed in full costume and headed to a hotel school Halloween party. While at first the six of us didn't really know anyone at the party, by the end of the night we were dancing with "old" friends and making promises to do it again the future.
The change of pace was appreciated by us all, and at the end of the day, is what is so great about going to the Johnson School. At Cornell, the cross pollination of academic institutions is relatively easy to achieve. If you put in just a little effort, it's a natural development for an academic connection to transform into a social connection, and ultimately lead to the strong foundation of a new relationship - be it professional or personal. So whether you're interested in hospitality and tourism, engineering, law, or whatever...being a student at the Johnson School means you're only steps away from opening doors to a whole new world of professional opportunities...or simply to making a new friend.
Tis the season for enjoying new friends, cherishing time with old ones, and making the effort to open doors of unforseen possibilities.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Funny Little World
Well at this point, I've kind of lost count of which week we're on here at business school. I do know that the wind is a tad bit cooler, a few tests and deliverables have been turned in, and thus it seems we're well under way here in Ithaca. It's actually quite crazy to think that we're halfway through the first quarter with fall break, literally right around the corner.
That's what's so interesting about business school is that fact that two or three weeks really feel like about a half a year. This isn't because time is passing slowly, on the contrary I believe...rather it's because the amount of experiences packed into a day are off the charts, especially when compared to that of real people out in the real world. You literally go to approximately four hours of class, probably present something in one of those classes, eat a couple times, converse with about 50 friends/colleagues, meet about 50 new ones, work out (hopefully), do homework, attend a corporate briefing, maybe even interview for a job, change back and forth from casual to formal attire, meet with a faculty member to discuss something vitally important regarding your future, set up more meetings, do something you wouldn't ordinarily do, have an emotional high AND an emotional low, and then start on more work or more socializing in the evening. Literally, this all fits in about 12 hours each day and mostly happens in one building, Sage Hall.
So with that in mind, one can start to understand how a couple of weeks in business school are equal to about six months in real people time. It's a funny little world we live in, but an exciting one at that.
That's what's so interesting about business school is that fact that two or three weeks really feel like about a half a year. This isn't because time is passing slowly, on the contrary I believe...rather it's because the amount of experiences packed into a day are off the charts, especially when compared to that of real people out in the real world. You literally go to approximately four hours of class, probably present something in one of those classes, eat a couple times, converse with about 50 friends/colleagues, meet about 50 new ones, work out (hopefully), do homework, attend a corporate briefing, maybe even interview for a job, change back and forth from casual to formal attire, meet with a faculty member to discuss something vitally important regarding your future, set up more meetings, do something you wouldn't ordinarily do, have an emotional high AND an emotional low, and then start on more work or more socializing in the evening. Literally, this all fits in about 12 hours each day and mostly happens in one building, Sage Hall.
So with that in mind, one can start to understand how a couple of weeks in business school are equal to about six months in real people time. It's a funny little world we live in, but an exciting one at that.
Monday, September 15, 2008
A Simple Thought Piece
It's the end of week two as a second year student at the Johnson School. Judging that it's noon on Thursday and I'm on a bus to New York City typing a blog entry, the passing of time is clearly different than it was exactly one year ago today. So what is different? Let's first review the obvious; I'm not inundated with the core. A privilege very much appreciated and though in a way I miss the camaraderie of "getting through it together" I'll take my morning workouts and time to shower any day. Second, I've completed a summer internship, where to my delight, much of last year's material came into play in an extremely helpful way. Imagine that. Now I listen to my professors with endless gratitude, not just with the intent to make my way through the material and to graduation. Third, I no longer need to learn the lay of the land, but rather know where I like to have an evening cocktail, check my email, and who I should talk to about odds and ends at school.
What is not so obvious is the touch of pensiveness that's mysteriously entered into my way of being, combined with an awareness that these are likely the last few months of a relatively carefree existence. Maybe it's the desire to be carefree that makes me so pensive. Or perhaps, it comes from realizing that work is work and those who want to change the world, whether just their own or everyone else's, are going to put in long, hard hours for many years to come. I think though it comes neither from school, freedom of time, nor the prospect of a life long career, but rather the understanding that as much as we try, as much as we are careful to do the right thing, destinies are fragile and cannot truly be hand-picked in spite of our well tuned efforts.
Case and point is what is happening on Wall Street today. Two storied firms, who for all intensive purposes, fully intended to continue on for years to come. But after a weekend, these companies and those working within them are facing a very different type of Monday than they were just one week ago. As a student of business, this is a rather surreal event to watch from the sidelines. The disruption is worrisome, unwanted, and presumably a tough circumstance to navigate through. With that said, and even at the beginning of this commercial catastrophe, it seems to be understood that eventually the dust will clear and those involved will emerge relatively unharmed and perhaps in an even more prosperous situation - albeit a new destiny not previously planned upon, but somehow prepared for.
What is not so obvious is the touch of pensiveness that's mysteriously entered into my way of being, combined with an awareness that these are likely the last few months of a relatively carefree existence. Maybe it's the desire to be carefree that makes me so pensive. Or perhaps, it comes from realizing that work is work and those who want to change the world, whether just their own or everyone else's, are going to put in long, hard hours for many years to come. I think though it comes neither from school, freedom of time, nor the prospect of a life long career, but rather the understanding that as much as we try, as much as we are careful to do the right thing, destinies are fragile and cannot truly be hand-picked in spite of our well tuned efforts.
Case and point is what is happening on Wall Street today. Two storied firms, who for all intensive purposes, fully intended to continue on for years to come. But after a weekend, these companies and those working within them are facing a very different type of Monday than they were just one week ago. As a student of business, this is a rather surreal event to watch from the sidelines. The disruption is worrisome, unwanted, and presumably a tough circumstance to navigate through. With that said, and even at the beginning of this commercial catastrophe, it seems to be understood that eventually the dust will clear and those involved will emerge relatively unharmed and perhaps in an even more prosperous situation - albeit a new destiny not previously planned upon, but somehow prepared for.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Bethany grew up all over the country but calls New Mexico, where she spent most of her childhood years, home. Prior to business school, Bethany worked as an Account Executive in both advertising and design firms, helping to build brands for companies such as Celebrity Cruises, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and The Campbell Soup Company. She also has extensive experience in new business development, working in this function for The National Foreign Trade Council and Arnold Worldwide. This summer, Bethany interned at General Electric in the corporate marketing department for the Innovation and Strategic Connections group. While she loved her internship, she's so excited to be back in Ithaca and sharing the great experiences we have here with all of you!
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